Copper and Zinc Status in Psoriasis: Correlation with Severity

Psoriasis is a common and an inflammatory skin disease. Trace elements play an important role in the skin metabolism such as keratinisation and melanin formation as well as immunological and inflammatory reactions. Henceforth, the present study was aimed to evaluate the essential metals with special reference to Cu and Zn. In this study, 72 psoriatic patients and 50 controls were enrolled. On the basis of PASI score psoriatic group comprising of 48 mild and 24 severe psoriatic patients were grouped. The serum trace elements analysis in the subjects revealed that serum Cu levels and Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher in the psoriatic patients as compared to controls. Interestingly, severity of the psoriasis was well correlated with the serum Cu levels. Taking together, all these findings suggest that Cu may be a major culprit in the pathogenesis as well as in the severity of the disease.     

Unequal opportunities in accessing employability-related programmes: South Asian graduates' experiences in Australia

Limited scholarly work has been conducted on obtaining equal opportunities to participate in employability-related programmes by international students while studying in Australia. Drawing on a qualitative study, 20 South Asian postgraduates were interviewed to explore their experiences in accessing employability-related programmes. Based on the findings, South Asian graduates have experienced unequal opportunities in accessing employability-related programmes as postgraduate international students in Australia. They are disadvantaged by generic career advice and resume assistance offered by their university career office, and companies invited to university career fairs offer internships, placements or graduate programme opportunities mostly to domestic students. As a result, South Asian graduates were unable to gain employment in their field of studies. South Asian graduates have also offered several useful recommendations to facilitate more equal chances of developing employability and thereby gaining successful employment in Australia. These include partnerships with companies in providing employment opportunities, diversification of university career office roles, and establishing connections with alumni. The paper also discusses implications for Australian higher education institutions and higher education policy and practice in Australia.     

Effect of Resveratrol and Nicotine on PON1 Gene Expression: In Vitro Study

Dietary and lifestyle factors have been shown to have a profound effect on paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity. Cigarette smoke has been shown to inhibit its mass and activity where as resveratrol has been shown to enhance it. We exposed hepatoma derived cell line (HepG2) to resveratrol and nicotine in varying doses and measured PON1 enzymatic activity and PON1 gene expression. In addition, total protein content of HepG2 cells was also measured. Resveratrol in a dose of 15 μmol/l or above significantly increased the PON1 enzyme activity (p > 0.001) where as nicotine in a dose of 1 μmol/l or higher significantly reduced it (p < 0.05). The resveratrol in this dose also enhanced the PON1 gene expression whereas nicotine decreased it as compared to controls. However, the protein conent of cells was not changed suggesting that they were not cytotoxic in the doses used. Till date the antioxidant vitamins have shown disappointing results against LDL oxidation and cardiovascular protection. However, the effect of resveratrol on PON1 gene expression and activity was significant, suggesting increase in PON1 activity and enhanced gene expression may be its alternative mechanism for offering protection against cardiovascular disease and may be an potential pharmacological agent which can be used for this.     

Individualized Educational Programming for the Mentally Retarded∗

The minimal components of a model for teaching educational skills to the mentally retarded are described. The most important components are assessment, individual and group programming, continuous data collection, and program evaluation. The model was developed to assist teachers in designing and implementing educational programs with only supervisory assistance from the psychologist. Illustrative examples and data are presented from the Mangere Hospital and Training School where this model evolved during the last four years.

     

A Behavioural Remediation Program for Oral Reading: effects on errors and comprehension

Abstract This study examined the efficacy of a behavioral remediation program for oral reading on oral reading errors and comprehension of four moderately mentally retarded children. The remediation program included previewing of the target text, delayed attention to oral reading errors, and positive practice overcorrection of errors plus positive reinforcement for self‐correction of errors. A multiple‐baseline across subjects design was used, with comprehension probes scheduled once every two or three days across both baseline and remediation phases. Comprehension probes consisted of 10 questions based on the target text and aimed to assess the child's literal comprehension, interpretation and critical reading. While the results demonstrated a clear relationship between remediation and oral reading errors, the relationship between remediation and comprehension was less clear. The remediation program was effective in reducing oral reading errors and, in the course of the study, increasing comprehension scores. These results were replicated across all four subjects.     

The Genetic‐Environmental Influences on Individual Cognitive Functioning or IQ

While some researchers place greater emphasis on heredity causes of individual differences in cognitive functioning, others place greater emphasis on cultural and environmental factors (broadly defined). Still others place greater stress on the dynamic interrelationship between the genetic components and the environmental components in accounting for individual cognitive functioning. The paper examines these views and concludes that intelligence is far more complex than hereditarians would admit and that although we may go along with the view that heredity could set the limit to cognitive development, it is not possible to tell what this limit is, if we define intelligence as a multifaCEDSd, multicausal phenomenon, which is partially malleable and capable of expression in many diverse ways.     

Globalization and Education

This paper reviews four books on globalization and education. It begins with a brief overview of theories of globalization, focusing specifically on cultural globalization. The paper then moves on to examine how each of the books deploys and develops a theory of globalization in relation to the topic of education. It also examines the utopian vision of education outlined within the books, as well all as the methods used to undertake research in an era of globalization.     

X-ray—A boon for elemental analysis

The characteristic X-rays coming out from an unknown sample due to the irradiation of gamma rays or X-ray photons or due to the bombardment of high velocity protons are used for elemental analysis in a sample. We describe here two techniques viz., Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) which have the capability of nondestructive and multi-elemental analysis of the sample. N K Sharat Singh is a research scholar at the Department of Physics, Manipur University. His research interest lies in areas of EDXRF and PIXE. H Nandakumar Sarma is a professor of physics at Manipur University. His current research focuses on EDXRF, PIXE, ferroelectric, ferrite, Mossbauer effect and solar energy. He occasionally writes popular science articles both in English and Manipuri. An erratum to this article is available at .     

The Sikh Model of the Person, Suffering, and Healing: Implications for Counselors

The migration of South Asians to the Western hemisphere calls for a more flexible approach to integrate traditional South Asian healing resources into the practice of counseling. Through an analysis of primary textual and secondary sources, this paper delineates the Sikh model of the person, suffering, and healing. The paper concludes by drawing parallels with Western counseling theory, and a case vignette to illustrate how the Sikh spiritual tradition can be integrated with Western psychotherapy.